Bang Bang Noodles

Outside of a hardware store on the busy stretch of Highland Park’s York Blvd, Robert Lee sets up his sidewalk noodle shop, pulling dozens of hungry foodies eagerly waiting for his specialty biang biang mian noodles, a specialty dish of Xi’an from China’s Shaanxi province. 

Lee takes the dough, flattens it, and grabs the ends with his tattooed arms tense, prompting his hour long line of customers to prepare their phones to capture the noodle show that he’s about to pull off.  He bangs the noodles onto his table in a rapid 3 to 4 repetitions, each bang stretching the dough a foot longer than before. He then draws his arms to the middle of the dough, and in a final pull he extends his arms to his wingspan and splits the noodle dough right down the middle.  The show continues as Lee boils the 6 foot ribbon of noodles and either pours in a savory vegetarian broth for a soup or dresses in a spicy cumin-based sauce for a dry option.

Lee’s makeshift table is cleverly cut to hold and organize his ingredients, a mise en place that speaks to a near decade career as a chef for fine-dining and Michelin star restaurants around LA, New York, and abroad in Spain.  However, he left the fine dining scene to cook something more personal and approachable yet new to LA.  Cooking Xi’an cuisine for Lee is both to highlight a less familiar Chinese region yet also be emotionally connected with food where he finds home and comfort. 

It’s no doubt that his honor to his craft and steadfastness to showcase Xi’an cuisine has attracted hundreds to try his chewy hand pulled noodles with tangy and spicy cumin flavors.